Please help...Leaking Green Fluid???

[aspi944]

Hi Folks,

I have 330i 2001 E46.
When i drive my car and put my HVAC on its works fine both ways.
But when i parked my car after driving it..i seen that something "green" fluid is leaking....???

I noticed that its leaking from driver side under the hood at the front somewhere..(cant see exactly sorry)!!

can somebody tell me what's that "green" fluid is????
is it easy to fix this issue or its going to burn my pocket???

[princess20ny]

Is it the coolant? Does it have a smell. I've had a similar issue on a non-BMW car, could be a leaking gasket?

[sypher]

Green fluid is usually antifreeze.

[danewilson77]

Probably antifreeze. Did your car get hot?

[AdamBath]

I'm guessing expansion tank.

[danewilson77]

I'm guessing expansion tank.

That job is kinda a pain in the @ss...isn't it...?

[aspi944]

I wake up this morning and wanna drive my German mama..and i seen that coolant light turn on in the cluster..and i think that because i lost significant last day. So i went ahead and top off with the leftover coolant i had in my garage. But i seen that the coolant inside the car was coming green..and i topped of with the blue (bmw) one????..So whats goinn to happened as i mixed to different color antifreeze...OH I HATE F***KIN PREVIOUS OWNER!!

Also i noticed that even after leaking my car never got hot and its always stay under control...

someone please help...its breaking me ups...

thanks

[nathancarter]

Step 1 will be to find and repair the leaking component. It's probably a cracked expansion tank, but could be a hose or something else.

Step 2 will be to flush out the old coolant and refill with a proper mixture of the appropriate coolant. I prefer BMW blue stuff.

It's generally not a great idea to mix different coolant types, but it won't do any damage to the engine. (some rare types of silicate coolant can not be mixed with "regular" coolant, but you probably don't have that in there)

[aspi944]

is it easy to replace expansion tank??
do it need to required to go under the car??

[Synn88]

is it easy to replace expansion tank??
do it need to required to go under the car??

nah

[slvrXI]

nah

lol he means yah to the easy part and nah to the going under the car part.

Hey synn house the new baby?

[sypher]

So whats goinn to happened as i mixed to different color antifreeze...

Most off the shelf coolants can be mixed with no problem. Such as prestone, peak, etc. As far as changing to blue BMW coolant, there really isn't a reason. The BMW stuff works no better or worse than a properly mixed coolant of another decent brand.

[slvrXI]

Most off the shelf coolants can be mixed with no problem. Such as prestone, peak, etc. As far as changing to blue BMW coolant, there really isn't a reason. The BMW stuff works no better or worse than a properly mixed coolant of another decent brand.

CAUTION!! There are some coolant blends out there that are name branded, that will not provide proper corrosion properties... Some are bad for aluminum. Stay away from yellow and orange. It is ok to use Yellow, but you should flush the whole system with it. NEVER use orange or red. Then again just read the label.. Ethylene Glycol is what it is called I believe.

[Phypha]

Let your dog taste it. If he loves it, it's coolant. BTW, get a casket for your dog while you're at it.

[sypher]

Thats true, some brands have differing corrosion inhibitors, But all have ethylene glycol. Don't put antifreeze outside either, it is sweet tasting to animals, but deadly.

[slvrXI]

Thats true, some brands have differing corrosion inhibitors, But all have ethylene glycol. Don't put antifreeze outside either, it is sweet tasting to animals, but deadly.

I could have sworn is a federal law that coolants have a bittering agent in it that makes it taste like dog crap now...

[aspi944]

Despite leaking of coolant happening i am not seeing any of the following problems:
1. Engine runs normal - stays cool
2. Heater blows great
2. AC is ice cold

should i leave my car untouchable?????
god help me what the h**l is happening here????

[nathancarter]

Since the consequences of overheating can be disastrous - you may need a whole new engine - I wouldn't just ignore the problem. Sorry to play the alarmist, but I'd rather see you change a $70 expansion tank and $20 gallon of coolant, than have to spring $$thousands for a new engine.

You WILL need to go under the car, #1 to drain the current coolant (unless you're just gonna let it dump out all over the place as you remove the tank), and #2 to undo the wire clip that holds the bottom of the tank in place, and #3 to remove the wiring harness for the coolant level sensor.

If you're moderately mechanically inclined, replacing the expansion tank is not difficult. The only hard part is that after 9 years of service and thousand of heat/pressure cycles, the old tank will be stuck-on pretty good to its bracket. Once the coolant is drained, the hoses are disconnected, and the aforementioned clip/wiring is removed, it's a simple matter of pulling the old tank straight up and out. You can also push up on the tank from below, using a hydraulic jack (this seems to be the least frustration)

Don't rely solely on the temperature gauge an an indicator of the health of the cooling system. The temperature gauge is damped - meaning, it will read at the "normal" 12 O'clock position, for a relatively wide temperature range. By the time it creeps up above the "normal" position, the engine is already beginning to overheat.



Your first step, as I started above, will be to locate the source of the leak. If there's a puddle on the ground, something is coming out of the car. Are you sure it's not windshield washer fluid? That could be green. SAFELY raise the front end, remove the splash shield, use a flashlight and a small mirror and take a look around. If there's a coolant leak, the dried coolant near the leak will leave a crusty white residue.

If you don't feel comfortable doing this yourself, find a good independent shop:
http://www.bimrs.org

[aspi944]

Now i have to topped of my coolant tank almost everyday so i am damn sure that coolant is leaking and yes it is as its smell same like coolant.

Now my problem is i dont have space So i can park my car over there and raise the front with jack!!! that's being said means i dont want to go under the car. can i just remove the tank and let all coolant flow down to the road its not gonna flow out that much because its loosing everyday like a pint.

do the coolant flow out gonna harm anything around engine or somewhat like that????

[Phypha]

Now i have to topped of my coolant tank almost everyday so i am damn sure that coolant is leaking and yes it is as its smell same like coolant.

Now my problem is i dont have space So i can park my car over there and raise the front with jack!!! that's being said means i dont want to go under the car. can i just remove the tank and let all coolant flow down to the road its not gonna flow out that much because its loosing everyday like a pint.

do the coolant flow out gonna harm anything around engine or somewhat like that????

No, just make sure your car does not over heat..

Temporarily, you may use this stuff:

http://www.solv-tec.com/pg/section.h...=01.05.&pgid=3

http://www.ready2race.co.uk/shop/sho...ion=full&id=19

Or other Liquid Coolant Leak Repairs.
I advise you to not make this the permanent solution. The reason I am telling you to use this stuff--I'm pretty sure you can find this liquid in any of your local repair shops--is to prevent you from loosing more money on coolant. (That shit is expensive, especially BMW coolant.)

If you cannot repair it yourself, usually the Mexican part of your town (we all have one) contain small DBA owned repair shops. Most of them usually do radiator repair / leak prevention.

Now, if there is any chance you might be a bit biased (not racist/racist if you are...I'm still cool with ya, even though I'm not) because of you being particular about whom touches your vehicle, and I know I am really discriminatory. Then take it to the Stealership and pay for it.

[nathancarter]

You don't have any buddies or family members who have a set of ramps and a place where you can raise the front end?

I wouldn't replace anything until you have confirmed the speculation that it's the expansion tank. And, even if it is the expansion tank, you're gonna have a very hard time replacing it completely from the top - the coolant level sensor and the retaining clip are hard (perhaps impossible?) to reach from the top. Dumping even more coolant onto the ground is the least of your worries.

I'm not a big fan of the radiator-stop-leak additives; I'd personally just top it off with distilled water each day until I fixed it. But, do what you like.


[Edit] Just noticed you're a BMWCCA member - I'm certain there are some fellow members who would be willing to help you out and/or loan you some garage space for a little bit.

[aspi944]

Ya i will definatelly ask someone who can might help me out.I do have frnds and family who have space. But the problem is they dont do any repair themselves..so they dont carry jacks and all that stuffs???

Anyway lets tried this: does anyone want me to help me out to replace expansion tank. i just need little bit help and direction and will do most of the stuff my self.

Thanks

[vision1]

i had this exact same problem happen with my car , everyday it leaked more and more coolant until one day i was driving home and my coolant light came on and then my car overheated so.......... i suggest you stop driving your car and fix this problem.
most likely it is the expansion tank. for my car i replaced the expansion tank, bracket, and hoses make sure you replace the hoses. and you will need to go under the car. just buy some ramps and then return them when your done using them.

[hooRAH]

Before you go digging into this repair, now would be an excellent time to test your water pump bearings, because if your water pump is original, chances are, its due for replacement as well. To replace the expansion tank and not the water pump at this stage would just be plain silly.

Keep in mind, you will need to remove, or at least loosen the serpentine belt to check for play in the water pump bearings.

Also, if you are going to try to do this repair yourself, and you're not familiar with working on BMW cooling systems (or any for that matter), please find a DIY writeup or shop manual. The importance of bleeding the system correctly afterwards cannot be overstated.

[aspi944]

is it possible that engine drain plug or coolant drain plugs can cause leaking????